If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

handling networking jobs

i would like to ask or rather get some pointers all of you who work in network/system administration. how did u handle those problems and what networking problems u usually encounter?
tools used and policies given to all the users in your area?
thank you so much in advance.

The reason i chose networking as the field I would go into, is because you never know what the next proiblem is going to be.

is it switch gone bad? Some user thought he was smart and set his own IP, maybe someone download a 500MB file?

WHo knows.

Thats what I like about networking, you have to investigate and work at it to figure out your problems then say to yoursefl, what policy should be in place or what kind of maintenance should be done to prevent this from happening again.

This is just me; however, most of the admins and developers I know use a common tool: Alcohol ( My personal favorite is Vodka).

That being said, I spend the majority of my time preventing users from hurting themselves or their files. I do this with policies, ACL's, packet filters/inspectors.

I don't spend a lot of time on patching and antivirus. I'm not in Ecommerce or Banking. When I work on Wide Area Networks, with multiple OS's I try to standardize routing hardware and harden defenses. I am of the belief that an exploit or virus cannot harm you if it can't get in the door. (There are many steps to doing this and not enough time to list - would make a good tut though) As, I said - this is my philosophy when it comes to networking.

The most important tool is logic. If it works when it shouldn't or doesn't work when it should, then finding out why is the first step.

Second step is to find out how to fix it.

Third step is find out how to prevent it from happening again. (The hardest part IMO)

Knowledge is the biggest tool you will need, the rest will just come to you over time. Internet is a great tool to use when attempting to figure out a problem. Network admin is more than just cables and routers, its just about everything you can think of. Get your net+, A+, MCSE, Security+, and just keep going. College isnt enough when it comes to Networking. Hope this helps you.